The present invention relates to a programming and control system for the automatic operation of remote controlled devices.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a control system for programming and providing remote control operation of the positioning of a camera and operation of various functions thereof for remote controlled closed-circuit television using the audio track of a video tape recorder tape.
In many known camera control systems, where it is desired to selectively control a plurality of different functions of a member being controlled, it often is the case that, due to the repetitive nature of the surveillance functions provided by the camera, the camera operator often must cause the system to operate through the same functions on a repetitive basis. For example, such closed circuit television camera systems, when used for security surveillance systems, often times repetitively scan the same field of view over the course of minutes, hours or for a set period of time each day.
More specifically, it may be desired that, over the period of an 8-hour work shift, a surveillance camera be repetitively focused on several fields of view. Thus, the camera operator, operating from a location remote from the camera, manually causes the camera to move from one desired field of view to another. Such operation includes the functions of panning and tilting the camera, as well as zooming the camera in and out in order to focus on a particular area within the field of view of the camera. Frequently, the operator will repeat this surveillance either once per eight hour shift, or more often. The operation of a camera control system under such circumstances is both tedious, personnel intensive and time consuming. In addition, it requires the operator to develop a skill in controlling the operation of the remote camera, or many cameras, and thus requires a high degree of both concentration and compensation of the operator.
Under such circumstances, it would be desirable if an inexpensive yet easy to program and readily reproducible system could be developed which would relieve the operator from manually controlling the operation of the camera. In addition to relieving the tedium of such operation and requiring less skilled operators, the personnel viewing the video images from the camera would be able to concentrate their entire attention on the scene viewed by the camera, instead of having to also concentrate on the operation of the camera. Furthermore, closed-circuit television cameras are frequently used under circumstances where hazardous conditions exist and are continually changing, for example, when used outside, the movement of the sun requires frequent yet predictable or easily estimated adjustments of the camera in order to maintain the desired field of view. Thus, it would be desirable if such tasks could be automated to relieve the viewer from having to perform them.
In addition, it is often necessary, for example, in the gaming industry, to record the scenes viewed by the camera on video tape and to store the video tape for later possible review by regulatory officials. Thus, it would be desirable if a system could be developed which would use the already available video tape medium to effectuate automatic programmed control of one or more cameras.
The invention set forth herein provides apparatus for automating the video camera control system disclosed in applicant's above-identified pending patent applications.